Legends of fairies . . .the Holy Grail … King Arthur . . . Throughout the English countryside, ancient stories live on in the stones and stories of times gone by. Despite the ebb and flow of history and efforts to erase their powers of attraction, they still fascinate and lure us into their web of fact, fiction, romance, and mysticism. Glastonbury, in Somerset, England, is a perfect example.

As you drive across the green English countryside, a tall, cone-shaped hill — Glastonbury Tor — appears enigmatically in the distance, surmounted by a stone tower belonging to 14th century St. Michael’s church. The Tor is a site of countless, bewildering legends. Also known by its ancient name, Ynys-witrin (the Island of Glass), it is said to have been named the Isle of Avalon after Avallac, the ancient Celtic god of the underworld. A place where the land met the sea, the Celts believed that this was where the dead passed to another level of existence under the watchful eye of the Lord of the Underworld and King of the Fairies.

It is also the place where Joseph of Arimathea (Uncle of Mary, mother of Jesus) is said to have come with 12 followers to build a church out of wattle and daub on the proportions of Solomon’s Temps in Jerusalem. This legend led to Glastonbury being called “England’s holyest earthe.” Joseph is also credited with planting the Holy Thorn tree on Wearyall Hill that supposedly sprang to life when he banged his staff into the ground. The tree mysteriously blooms twice a year at Christmas and Easter.

Not far from Glastonbury Tor is the Chalice Wall with its rust-red water that reputedly has healing properties. Legend says that the color comes from the Holy Grail, which is rumored to be buried nearby, although it is more likely the color is due to the iron ore deposits in the soil. Beneath the watchful eye of the Tor is Glastonbury Abbey, once one of England’s largest and richest religious centers, where people have worshipped in one form or another for thousands of years.

One legend has it that King Arthur was brought to the Abbey on the Isle of Avalon in a boat, mortally wounded from his last battle with Mordred, and buried here together with his wife, Guinevere. In 1191, the monks are said to have found the remains of Arthur and Guinevere in the cemetery to the south of Lady Chapel. About 85 years later, their remains were reinterred with great pomp and ceremony in a black marble tomb. King Edward I presided over the reburial. However, after the Abbey was destroyed in 1539 as part of Henry VIII’s dissolution, the remains disappeared. Today a notice board marks the spot of Arthur’s supposed final resting place. On the other hand, another legend says that Arthur was turned into a Cornish Chough, a blackbird associated with myths and legends.

Throughout the years, Glastonbury Abbey was the envy of its neighbors, particularly Wells. There are tales of monks from one Abbey destroying the fish farms of the other. When Glastonbury Abbey was destroyed in a fire, the folks from Wells were quick to remove the stones to build their own structures. But it was at the time of the Dissolution that the Abbey met its ultimate demise and, contrary to the situation of other religious structures, it was never rebuilt after Henry VIII destroyed it, taking the stones to build other things. Perhaps it was because the Abbot of Glastonbury had defied the King and been executed by hanging on Glastonbury Tor in 1539; or perhaps it was because of the wealth of the Abbey, which was envied by others or maybe it was to try and destroy the legends which made those in power uncomfortable.

Today, the Abbot’s Kitchen (dating to 1340) and Lady Chapel (dating to 1186) is the most complete of the buildings at Glastonbury. Of the Abbey itself, all that remains are the nave walls and the crossing arches, which may have been shaped like those in Wells Cathedral. If the intention was to destroy the site to erase the legends, then this failed miserably. Today, the myths and legends are alive and well, making Glastonbury a worldwide center for seekers, believers, and new agers as well as those attending an annual rock concert held every year in June in the nearby village of Pilton.

Irrespective of your beliefs, you cannot help but be intrigued by the magic of Glastonbury and its rich past.

IF YOU GO
To get to Glastonbury take the J23 exit from the M5 onto the A39 and follow the signs. Glastonbury Abbey is located on Magdalene Street.

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